Rear Windows replacement for AC on GMC

[questorfla]

One of the members (Marco Polo) has a Perfect solution for what i need. I don't want to tear up the rear door trying to DYI myself. No that handy with sheet metal.
Doe anyone know of a place that us selling with a window kit or, like Marco, the whole AC Package for a 2005 GMC?C

[markopolo]

Mine came from Safari Condo in Quebec. Safari Condo Recreational vehicles (RV) Motorhomes and Travel trailers

It was designed as a rear window hinged glass replacement to be removable if not needed in cooler months.

[questorfla]

Great! I will contact them for a price and what they need for specs. Did you just order direct by Internet ? Given the choice, if you had it to do over, would you go with a roof mount or stick with the rear window unit? The roof mount Coleman Mach 3 SP runs about $700 but I would still have to get it installed. Do you remember how much the window kit cost? Is it fiberglass or ? In the photos it looks Great!
While I am asking, I also need to match your rear carrier setup. Is that a normal trailer hitch with a platform carrier inserted or how did you manage it?

[markopolo]

I didn't have much choice in deciding which type of A/C because I did not want to remove a solar panel or loose the fan vent. Mounting a roof A/C farther back would have meant going through the fiberglass roof and a section of original metal van roof approx 10" below that. I would have lost rear storage space and had to fabricate duct work.

The rear A/C is not great as it over cools the rear and under cools the front because my van is very sectioned off inside. A fan would help move the air around. That said, being able to cool the van down sometimes is worth any inconvenience.

It was expensive and I picked it up right from Safari Condo. it was a good excuse for a trip! The box is fiberglass. The install is detailed here: http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f8...oner-2051.html

I'd probably pick roof air as long as I didn't have to give up the fan vent.

The details about my cargo box are here: http://www.classbforum.com/forums/f8...-van-3382.html

[questorfla]

Read most of the cargo box post and saw many of the comments were about length. Looking at the images of you van, it doesn't look like you added more than 20" or so which shouldn't bee a problem. I just need a place to mount the generator that will run the AC when the van is parked where no power. This would go where you have a storage box. And maybe also have above it to put a bike or two just as you have.

I have ordered a Champion Power Equipment 75537i 3100 Watt RV Ready Portable Inverter Generator with Wireless Remote Start that i think should be adequate to power a 10000 btu A/c with plenty left over for the TV and other items inside the van.
I have changed out all interior and exterior lights to LED's and added a 12V 100AH BATTERY for long-term electrical supply. I hope we can find power most places we stop but if we can't, i am trying my best to be ready for it.

Your Solar array would also be a nice addition.

[markopolo]

You should have plenty of power for the A/C startup surge with that generator. The specs indicate that it is quiet. The remote start is a nice feature. It will likely run at half load or less so should be fuel efficient and quiet.

If you can leave it attached to the hitch while running then that would be convenient. This site might give you some ideas: https://www.rvgeneratorbox.com/

[Phoebe3]

Originally Posted by questorfla

I have ordered a Champion Power Equipment 75537i 3100 Watt RV Ready Portable Inverter Generator with Wireless Remote Start that i think should be adequate to power a 10000 btu A/c with plenty left over for the TV and other items inside the van.

Please let us know how this works out for you.

[questorfla]

Will do. The generator was a toss up between it and the same thing in a version that offered multi-fuel options (ie: it would run on propane) But the propane option did not have the all the remote start etc and the cost shot up by over $200 .
The one i got was $805 from Amazon
Thanks Marco for the link to the Generator box. The smallest one should fit this as it is tiny compared to most and is a true Inverter generator.
Also have not yet been able to contact the people about the rear A/C enclosure. I think i might end up going with the Coleman Mach 3 PS Rooftop system after all.

[questorfla]

Advice on Electrical configuration for Van Conversion
If anyone could offer a good way to configure my van to handle the 120V AC + 12V DC using a generator plus secondary deep-cycle battery tied into the normal 12V DC system for the van and allowing for input from Shore-power when parked where i can get it.
I would appreciate any advice as to the best way to handle this.

The only 120V AC needs are the TV, DVD player, and the rooftop A/C. The electronics are easy to manage with an inverter. The A/C is the one place where i am not sure what to do.

The drain is more than i think can be managed by any kind of inverter without being a huge strain on it and I think that I should run a separate circuit for the AC that terminates where it could simply be plugged into the generator or into the shore-power when available. But I would love to here from someone who has "been there-done that" to save me from trying to re-invent the wheel (and probably getting it wrong)

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by questorfla

Advice on Electrical configuration for Van Conversion
If anyone could offer a good way to configure my van to handle the 120V AC + 12V DC using a generator plus secondary deep-cycle battery tied into the normal 12V DC system for the van and allowing for input from Shore-power when parked where i can get it.
I would appreciate any advice as to the best way to handle this.

The only 120V AC needs are the TV, DVD player, and the rooftop A/C. The electronics are easy to manage with an inverter. The A/C is the one place where i am not sure what to do.

The drain is more than i think can be managed by any kind of inverter without being a huge strain on it and I think that I should run a separate circuit for the AC that terminates where it could simply be plugged into the generator or into the shore-power when available. But I would love to here from someone who has "been there-done that" to save me from trying to re-invent the wheel (and probably getting it wrong)

Most of the new RV use 12VDC TV and DVD players.
Walmart has them.

[questorfla]

the DVD is a Sony blu-ray and yes, it can run on 12VDC anyway,. the 120 power is converted to 12vdc before entering the DVD

The TV though, is a Samsung 32" 1080P smart TV with WiFi and i have not been able to find a easy fix to the 120VAC. But an inverter for just that item isn't a problem as 200 watt inverters are pretty cheap.

What i am more interested in is finding a complete How To as far as connecting everything else. The separate deep cycle battery will be my support for the electronics. When parked with no shorepower, the generator supplies the AC.

The only junction I can see is between the van generator or shorepower charging the Deep-cycle battery via a 12VDV battery charger or it being changed from 120VAC via generator

I know from past experience that you cant put two car batteries in a circuit without the proper separation or they will just run each other dead.

[BBQ]

.

The easiest dual battery set up is using the Wirthco Battery Doctor 150 Amp battery isolator.

Lots of "How-To" video on youtube.


http://www.wirthco.com/batteryisolatorseries.html

[questorfla]

Thanks BBQ. I just finished placing the order. Should get here by Thursday . End of that part of the problem. Auto-switching between shorepower and generator should be simple enough, Unplug the Power-line main cable from shorepower and plug into generator
Not Automatic but Simple and works..And the Battery charger being plugged into 120V would only charge the aux battery it is connected to and even then only when it had 120V

[BBQ]

.

There are Auto-switching Charger-Inverter-Converter All-in-One combos.

[questorfla]

I have been going over this one for a while off and on with various ones being my latest best choice. I had almost decided that a rooftop unit was going to be the way to go until i got an email from a place that does conversions telling me that it probably would not work mounted directly tot he fiberglass hi-top that comes on GMC Savana Explorer conversions. Said that area would have to be 'strengthened" and did not go into details but i think i believe them.

The option using a Portable A/C takes up too much inside room, isn't very efficient (or effective ) and required venting through tubes to the outside anyway.

I am now back to where i started from with some kind of adapter frame to allow mounting a windows unit A/C in he rear door. At least i HAVE a rear window i can take out if i can just find a good frame for the AC that would fit back in where the glass was?

Since I will have a cargo carrier mounted on the rear anyway, i don't think i will be able to open the rear doors. Unless i can get one on a Swing-way hitch? I saw the setup on U-Haul. If it works as i think it does, it would allow the cargo carrier to swing out and away from the van allowing me to open the rear doors. Has anyone used one of these?

[questorfla]

Too late BBQ. Its already a done deal!

I liked what you posted first anyway. My experience with computers (It Mgr my day Job ) Has shown me that the more complex any system is the more likely it is too fail. (This is true of most things in Life too !) I will go for a separate trickle charger for the aux battery i think. The gadget you posted will charge it while driving anyway.

[BBQ]

Originally Posted by questorfla

Too late BBQ. Its already a done deal!

I liked what you posted first anyway. My experience with computers (It Mgr my day Job ) Has shown me that the more complex any system is the more likely it is too fail. (This is true of most things in Life too !) I will go for a separate trickle charger for the aux battery i think. The gadget you posted will charge it while driving anyway.

+1

Sounds good.

[questorfla]

Safari Condo is not easy to reach or deal with. In one reply they told me they had too much email to reply to all of it. I only need to know if that rear window AC they sold Marco is made to fit the rear window on all GMC Savana in case his was a different size than mine. I hate to order an $800 unit then find it will not fit my van.

All requests for specs got only a 'no time to reply' I guess too many emails ?

I would gladly pay for it and have it shipped by fastest possible carrier as nothing else i can find will work without making permanent changes to the door frame.

I would even buy a used one but no one has ever seen one except for Marco. I wondered how well it cooled things in his van? I am almost done with modifications and made the area that needs cooling as small as I could

I fabricated the bed frame from 1 1/2" PVC tubing. Found several people who had done the same but no one posted any specs I am not the best at design work but got the job done. I Used a self-inflating air mattress on top which did a great job with weight distribution and amazed me at how comfortable it is. So thick and well made that there was no need for a plywood top.

That gave me room for two 24"w x 14"h x 60"d roll-out storage boxes accessed from back doors plus enough room at the front end for a GSR Deep cycle battery and electronics on one side and a freshwater tank on the other. All under the bed.

As soon as I can wrap this thing up I will post some pics.

Only thing now is that "Gotta Have It Rear Window A/C "

[questorfla]

This one is from Destin Florida to Las Vegas, NV. I want to try to drop by as many national parks on the way as possible such as Big Bend, Carlsbad Caverns, Grand Canyon, etc. We have a place to stay in Vegas on arrival but we have been there too many times already and one more week spent wandering the Strip is not on my "Must Do" list

We only have another short time span though. Maybe 8 days, 10 at most, for the round trip. The Safari Condo Rear AC Shroud has arrived and I am looking forward to getting it installed.

We just got back from our first 8 day journey (more on that later) but need to see if there is any way to do the same thing to Vegas at the end of this month.

Any advice appreciated as to places to go, routes to take, etc.

[questorfla]

I received the A/C box for rear window but it is lacking a very necessary component. The inside part that you described which the outer box bolts into.

What they sent me was just the shell with no A/C included as i asked them to just leave the AC off.

But there is absolutely no way to mount this in the hole where the rear window goes . I does align with the hole but some piece is going to be required inside the van to cover all the bolts and such where it mounts to the door.

I looked at your description of where you mounted yours and you described a nice upholstered inside component that would provide a way to mount this to the door and look nice. What i got from them had none of those inside parts you mentioned as below:

.
It has stainless steel brackets for the inside and the upholstered piece you see. Outside cover is fiberglass.
It is designed to replace the rear window. You can switch back and forth between the window and the A/C depending on the season.
.

I will be contacting Safari Condo on Monday But until then, i though i might check with you as right now I am totally disappointed in that i do not see any way possible to make this box (which looks just like yours) mount to the van door.
I can deal with buying the the clips as you did but the price i paid was only less the cost of the A/C itself and i really need those other interior and outside panels or the whole setup will look terrible.

I sure hope this was just a mistake and somebody forgot to pack the other piece inside.